Portable FT-IR spectroscopy Contact sponge method
By overlapping the same area acquired at different time, e.g. before and after a cleaning treatment, it is possible to compare
the changes in pattern surfaces Figure 6. The 3D profile of the quotes of the surface is extracted through the DEM of each
models. The analysis of the frequency distribution of the quotes on the investigated area allows the extraction of some
dimensional information on the surface pattern such as roughness or quote of particular areas maximum and minimum
values of elevation.
Choosing, by a polyline, a direction on the surface, it’s possible to generate roughness profiles, whose coordinates can be
exported in text format and elaborated with any software that allow their graphics processing.
2.1.5
Evanescent Field Dielectrometry
The Evanescent Field Dielectrometry EFD is a diagnostic methods based on electromagnetic measurement of the
permittivity of the material under investigation. This method has been usefully employed for determining by non-invasive
way the moisture and salts content inside materials Olmi R., et al., 2006. The theoretical concept is based on the measurement
of the dielectric contrast between water about 80 and the host material in the microwave frequency range. The dielectric
constant of typical materials used in masonry brick, plaster, mortar and stone is about 3-5. Thanks to the high dielectric
contrast, it is possible to perform a powerful diagnostic of both the moisture content and the soluble salts inside the material up
to 2 cm in depth. The measure is carried out in real time, needing some seconds to be completed.
The dielectric constant real part of dielectric permittivity determines the ability of the material to polarize itself, or to
form and to orient electric dipoles when an external electric field is applied. This behaviour is quantified by the real part of
permittivity; on the contrary the imaginary part is related to the dissipative effects due to friction acting between the electric
dipoles while chasing the variations of the electric field. The imaginary part also depends on the electrical conductivity of the
material, or rather from ions mobility. Therefore, a dry material containing salts can be characterized by a low electrical
conductivity, even if the salts are present in high quantity. The proposed system SUSI
©
tool, USA Patent, Bini et al., 2009 measures independently both the real part and the
imaginary part of permittivity in the microwave frequency range. The support is investigated by the electric field that spills
out from the aperture of the opened resonant cavity. In this case, the sensor is a truncated coaxial line closed on one side on the
resonant circuit and on the other side opened on the material under investigation. Errore. Lorigine riferimento non è stata
trovata. shows the setup of the measurement system. It consists of a microwave signal meter on the left in the picture, the
probe on the bottom in the picture, and a notebook on which is installed the software to control the instrument, as well as for
the real time elaboration. Figure 7. SUSI
©
tool The measurement is performed keeping in contact the probe
with the surface of the material under investigation avoiding areas with risk of detachment or with others criticality. The
measurement is averaged on a hemisphere 2 cm depth of radius into the material. Maps in terms of moisture content MC and
salinity index SI can be elaborated from the data collected during the survey of the surface under investigation.
Figure 8. Maps of MC and SI on the wall paintings “The legend
of St. Alex ”, S. Clement church, Rome